
Flying the Spartan as Transcribed from a VHS video sent to me from
Spartan Aircraft Co. 
Special thanks to Doug Nolan at Spartan for sending the Reference Manual and the Video.



Jeff Ethel, Journalist and Comm. Pilot who was flying the Spartan
states that there were 34 built and at the time under 20 left.

John Turgyn, the owner is an airline pilot and antique plane restorer of Howard Aircraft.
Flying "co-pilot"

This is a virtual transcription of what was said to help one's understanding of the plane's flying characteristics.

John:  "Ignition should be off
	Mixture to full rich
	Carbourator heat: cold
	propellor is low rpm / in this case we'll use high rpm.
	full boost pump: on
	Prime it. About three shots ought to be O.K. time
	Mag switch on and the starter button"

Jeff:	"Normally in round engined airplanes we always want to give 	
	the oil a lot of time to warm up. I think many people don't 	
	quite understand why?"

John: 	"Well. Part of the deal here is the engine here itself. A big 	
	round engine takes a long time to warm up the metal parts. 	
	What we're doing by warming up the oil temperature is that 	
	when the oil is warm, that means that the engine is warm. 	
	That's most likely the most important thing. A modern flat 	
	engine will warm up relatively quick. Whereby, any old round 	
	engine just takes time and you have to be patient."

Jeff: 	"John, Taxi technique, obviously like any tailwheel airplane 	
	is blind out front, but this one is really blind"

John: 	"Exceptionally blind Jeff. You've seen that already"

Jeff:	"I've noticed that I can lean to the side and look out, but 	
	even that is not great."

John: 	"What I wind up doing sometimes is just leaving the seat belt 	
	loose If I'm flying the airplane by myself so I can slide 	
	over and take a look"

Jeff:	"Is that right?"

	"Ok, we'll do the run up checklist."


John: 	"Al;right, We're using 1,700 RPM for a runup here.
	The Instruments check: 
	we have our oil pressure/ temperature in the green
	We'll do a mag check next.

Jeff:	"OK, up to 1,700"

John: 	"17"

Jeff:	" and this is more than anything else is to get warm oil up 	
	into the dome.
	Is this a counterweighted prop?"

John: 	"Counterweight. Constant speed, counterweighted. Yes"

Jeff:	"OK"

John: 	"The propellor is down. the trim is set for takeoff. 
	Flaps are up. Flight controls are free and easy"

Jeff:	"Right. They sure are easy. I'll say that."

John: 	"Brakes are off.
	To "Go" is the boost pump
	Strobes, Lights and Transponder, If you want it on."

Jeff:	"OK, and power on take off is 36 1/2"

John: 	"36 1/2 max and 2,300 RPM "

John:  to ATC mike:"ATC Robbinsville traffic.  Spartan 34SE taking 		
		off on runway 29."

Jeff:	"OK. here we go.
	I've noticed the Spartan comes off the ground pretty quick."

John:  "Fairly quick for 4400 lbs..yes"

Jeff:  "I'll say. If course that's a testimony to Pratt and Whitney to 
	some degree. Also, the airplane's extrimely light."

John: "Very . Even at Gross wt. on a hot day, It lifts off fairly quick."

Jeff:  "John, I've noticed that really for a 1030's airplane the noise level is extrimely low.


John: "Quite acceptable for the amount of horsepower up front. 
	Yes, you would think that 450 hp  would give you  a lot more noise."

Jeff: "Really you get sort of a lot of rumble but not a lot of wind noise.
	 Now, do you have to work pretty hard to get that?"

John: "Yes, the low pitched rumble is what makes it comfortable. vs. a modernflat engine 
	turning a much higher R.P.M. The good thing I like about this airplane is getting 
it up to altitude where it performs the best and trying tom find some smooth airand then
 it's virtually a hands-off trip The elevator trim is very accurate and just a little tickle on the 
rudder and you're on your way."

Jeff: "John, Once you get to altitude we'll level her off"

John: "Alright. On the Pratt and Whitney R985 cruise power settings these days is about 
	27" of manifold pressure at about 1900. That equates to be about 260 hp. 
	The manifold pressure will vary within an inch or two depending on your
	 temperature. On a cold day 27" is very close to 260 hp."

Jeff: "Now, how much fuel total do you carry John? Normally it was 112 gal. in the 
	original airplane."

John: The originals were 112 gals. Jef. THis airplane was modified at the Spartan Factory in 
	1953. What they did was added more fuel for a total of 137 Gallons."

Jeff: " In a round engined airplane or any aircooled engne for that matter super cooling is a 
	real factor. You've got to avoid cooling the engine off on the way down.

John: "Yes. The speed of this airplane you have to start planning ahead on your descents to arrive in the traffic pattern area  	at a slowed down speed of  approximately gear down speed. (IE:125 mph) Super cooling the engine surely 	
	doesen't help it any.

Jeff: "So, youve got to plan your descents pretty far out."

John: "I plan my descents quite a ways out in this case. THe rough airspeed on the airplane is 210 mph. So you don't have 	any problems with speed. it's just proper power management."

Jeff: "O.K. We'll enter downwind for Trent/ Robbinsville and I'll let you be my landing checklist for me.

John: To ATC:"Robbinsville Traffic Spartan 34SE turning downwind runway 29"
	To Jeff in cab: " Uh, we have before landing checklist. The fuel selector.. I'm going to put on your main tank. 
	The mixture is full rich. Turn your boost pump on. Although we have a max speed of 140 for the landing gear, I 			generally use about 125. Same as the flap speed. Gear down any time"

Jeff:" OK, You normally do half outer flap at this point.

John: "yes"

Jeff: "Now why did they have two different flaps systems John?"

John: " The wing flaps generate a certain amount f lift as well as slowing you down. Whereby the center flap is strictly a 			drag flap. If you want to land the airplane as short as you can, you use all the flaps. Normally on a long runway 	  		you just use a wing flap. A good speed of around 90 mph now is appropriate.

Jeff: "Is that final or right over the numbers?"

John: "that's about.... on final here and as you get over the numbers you'll bleed back to 85 or 80.

Jeff: "OK alright"

John:"The problem with a Spartan  (If you call it a problem) is you can slow it up more but you have no over the nose 			visability."

Jeff: "Yeah, I think that the main reason for using all the flaps is to get the visability back"

John: "That's part of it. Yes."

end.

From this video and the Manuel, I would suggest that when you take off that with realism 
set to "reasonable" levels and the settings set to allow you to adjust prop and fuel mixtures that:
Take off with about 3/4 to 2/3 rich fuel mixture.
Prop to full and gradually increase the throttle.
It should lift off easily and fairly quick.
Cruise at 5 to 9,000 ft with the throttle and prop to ablut the 3/4 to 2/3 setting.
Turning will  be helped with use of rudder.
When landing it may help to drop the throttle to about 1/4 and set the prop to 0. This will help you slow down some without supercooling the engine block.
To be realistic you should not lower any flaps and wheels above 125 mph.
This means to prepare early to land.
Touch down at about 60 kts. with flaps set to about 20%

Ground turns are achieved with differential braking and rudder. Keep your speed low. 
Apply the throttle to get some propwash across the rudder and it should turn fairly quick. 

